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[Display omitted] • Semi-automated generation of regionalized paper recycling life-cycle inventories. • National impacts on climate change of recycling three paper grades in 191 countries. • Life-cycle assessment case study of Quebec's mixed wastepaper recycling system. Recycling is a commonly acknowledged strategy to reduce the environmental impacts linked to primary resource exploitation. Large regional variations can be observed in recycling processes' parameters, like efficiency, energy mix and treatment of rejects. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is widely used to evaluate the environmental impacts of recycling processes, but existing studies are neither harmonized nor sufficient to provide a comprehensive geographical and technological coverage of recycling processes. The purpose of this research is to develop an efficient and iterative approach for the parametrized generation of semi-automated regionalized life-cycle inventories that take into account technological and geographical variabilities in the recycling sector. The regionalization framework is then applied to create a parametrized paper recycling regionalization tool. This tool is used in the results section to compare the national climate change impacts of recycling three paper grades. Results show a significant global warming impact variability between countries for recycled graphic paper (0.36 to 2.25 kg CO 2 -Eq/kg wastepaper recycled), newsprint (0.27 to 1.84 kg CO 2 -Eq/kg wastepaper recycled) and corrugated cardboard (0.28 to 1.68 kg CO 2 -Eq/kg wastepaper recycled) productions. A regionalized LCA of the international recycling of the mixed wastepaper exported from Quebec's (Canada) sorting centers is also performed with the tool and compared to the non-regionalized mixed wastepaper recycling process available in the ecoinvent database. Only nine midpoint ReCiPe impact categories remain environmentally advantageous compared to virgin paper production when applying the regionalization methodology, compared to sixteen when using the ecoinvent process, illustrating how regionalization can substantially influence LCA results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calibration and regionalization are two key tasks in hydrological modelling, and the availability of increased data and computing resources has enhanced our ability to complete these tasks. This paper addresses both tasks, i.e. (i) it proposes novel model structure-based calibration strategies with the goal to improve estimation of high streamflows, and (ii) it explores the association of soil hydraulic properties with optimal parameters to estimate streamflows in ungauged catchments. Both tasks are demonstrated by employing a conceptual hydrological model, Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting (SAC-SMA), on multiple catchments in the Narmada River Basin. The initial calibrated model exhibited good model performance, with high flows being underestimated. Seven calibration strategies via revising parameter space are explored, and improvement in high flow performance is observed at nine out of 12 catchments. Estimated streamflows based on soil hydraulic parameters demonstrate regionalization potential. The results indicate successful application of the proposed methods which are transferable to other basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the Organization of Turkic States' (OTS) support in aiding Central Asian republics to address their historical legacies, focusing on the period following Russian influence from the 18th century. Employing a postcolonial theoretical lens, it examines the post-independence phase of these republics, highlighting the OTS' role in promoting regional cooperation, cultural revitalization, and social unity. The paper discusses the challenges faced by these nations in various sectors such as economics and linguistics, assessing the OTS' capacity to support their development, given its resources and relative position amidst other significant regional entities. Additionally, it delves into broader regional developmental strategies and their implications for the OTS' objectives. The paper underscores the importance of strategic autonomy for Central Asia in the context of evolving regional dynamics. It concludes by recognizing the OTS' potential in contributing to the region's progress, presenting a comprehensive view of the intricate regional landscape and the OTS' part in fostering growth and development in Central Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cities remain an understudied unit of analysis for understanding the motives of multinational enterprises' (MNE) foreign direct investment (FDI), with subnational locations in International Business (IB) research to date predominantly captured via the phenomenon of agglomeration. As regional integration projects, such as the European Union and to a lesser degree NAFTA, increasingly reduce the importance of national institutional environments, this paper argues regional and subnational levels become more important for studying MNE location choice. This paper aims to evaluate the explanatory contribution of regional and subnational levels of analysis to understanding MNE location choice. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative deductive bottom-up multiple-case study research design is adopted to study the city location choices and FDI motives of six automotive and six commercial banking companies. These purposefully sampled manufacturing and service MNEs have different home countries and regional orientations. Data on their foreign investments across the extended Triad of Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific were collected for the time period of 2000–2021. Findings: Findings suggest that different classes of city tend to attract specific types of FDI and that these patterns might vary across sectors and be influenced by the regional strategic orientations of MNEs. Industry-specific findings reveal the importance of related and support industries and partners in a city location for the automotive MNEs, while the commercial banks seek investment opportunities in cities that allow acquisition targets that have an attractive customer based and will improve their local market knowledge. Originality/value: The findings provide evidence in support of MNEs in manufacturing and service industries perceiving the attractiveness of three city types in different ways across the Triad regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spatial regression models, spatial heterogeneity may be considered with either continuous or discrete specifications. The latter is related to delineation of spatially connected regions with homogeneous relationships between variables (spatial regimes). Although various regionalization algorithms have been proposed and studied in the field of spatial analytics, methods to optimize spatial regimes have been largely unexplored. In this paper, we propose two new algorithms for spatial regime delineation, two-stage K-Models and Regional-K-Models. We also extend the classic Automatic Zoning Procedure to a spatial regression context. The proposed algorithms are applied to a series of synthetic datasets and two real-world datasets. Results indicate that all three algorithms achieve superior or comparable performance to existing approaches, while the two-stage K-Models algorithm largely outperforms existing approaches on model fitting, region reconstruction and coefficient estimation. Our work enriches the spatial analytics toolbox to explore spatial heterogeneous processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Within the theoretical framework of global value chains (GVCs), much importance has been given to industrial districts (IDs) and their role as localized manufacturing systems. The regionalization of GVC has opened new questions on the location of manufacturing activities and the potential consequences at the ID level. The reshoring phenomenon challenges internationalization processes, changing the configuration in trade dynamics for IDs. This paper aims to investigate which are the main internationalization patterns followed by district small and medium enterprises (SMEs) under the perspective of the regionalization of GVCs. This will help both practitioners and policymakers to better understand internationalization trajectories aimed at sustaining the economic development of district firms and territories. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis has been conducted using a survey carried out on 210 ID SMEs in the furniture, mechanics and fashion industries located in Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, in northeastern Italy. Moreover, data released from the Italian Customs Agency have been merged to detect the trends of interviewed firms' internationalization between 2005 and 2019. Findings: The results highlight how the geography of internationalization has changed over time, in particular following the regionalization of the GVCs. There are also differences among the industry specializations of IDs. This could be attributable to the strategy pursued by each firm to control the competition both in the domestic market and abroad, also in relation to GVC lead firms' location strategies. Originality/value: This paper applies new data on the analysis of ID SMEs related to international transactions over a long period of time. In doing this, this paper adds new insights to the GVC literature and future policies to be implemented to foster the participation of district firms in the global scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the early Holocene onward, the Indian Subcontinent has accommodated a range of diverse human cultures and associated ecological adaptations and lifestyles. Around 10 kyrs ago, the Subcontinent has witnessed the development of later Mesolithic hunter-gatherers and their subsequent regional transitions to pastoralist (Neolithic) and agricultural (Chalcolithic) lifeways. The Holocene climate records reveal discrepancies in the timing and duration of climatic events, which can be attributed to a vast geographic isolation, the influence of height, elevation, and local climatic conditions. These changing climatic patterns including the development of a geographically variable monsoon directly impacted these various cultures including the Harappans and their contemporaries as well as younger Historical and Medieval empires across India, at various levels. In some regions, environmental changes led to uneven cultural transitions, geographic migrations, and the development of regionally-distinct material cultures along with establishment of sedentary life-ways. This paper attempts to present a review broadly correlating general climatic patterns throughout the Holocene period of India with regional cultural dynamics. All geomorphic-climatic zones of the Subcontinent showed strong inter-proxy coherence between 9 and 5 kyrs in response to increased precipitation. After this warming period ends, we see a moderate dry period as a result of a weakening monsoon and an overall tendency toward aridity throughout all zones (after 4 kyrs). The temporal variation of human habitation and respective adaptive responses suggest broad linkages to the varying climatic and physiographic features at a regional scale. Learning how this shaped human eco-dynamics in the past can help us expand our understanding of human history and implement lessons for the present as well as the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: During the last 10 years a growing number of regional flood frequency estimation studies have used flood seasonality descriptors for delineating hydrologically homogeneous regions. Seasonality of floods reflects a complex catchment’s hydrologic response to flood producing processes. Due to the high accuracy and robustness of flood date data, the use of flood seasonality indices became an attractive alternative to traditional regionalization approaches for the delineation of homogeneous regions, a key step in any regionalization study. This paper presents a data-based comparison of three flood seasonality regionalization methods. The methods are applied to a set of catchments in the province of Québec (Canada). A jack-knife procedure is used to assess the performance of the methods in regional quantile estimation. The results are compared to those obtained from a traditional regionalization approach based on catchment physiographic similarities, and to the results from a scenario where information available in all catchments is used in the analysis. The seasonality method based on the peaks-over-threshold approach was concluded to lead to best results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

AbstractStatistical tools are crucial for a variety of hydrological applications, whether to model processes and enhance understanding and knowledge or to design infrastructure systems. Given the rapid evolution of statistical methods and the need for a solid theoretical foundation for their correct application, a multidisciplinary community (STAHY-WG) aggregated under the IAHS umbrella to contribute to this research field. Now, after more than fifteen years since its inception, this paper summarizes the main achievements of this productive community collaboration in four (of many) branches of statistical hydrology: extreme value analysis, multivariate analysis, time series analysis, and regionalization. The aim is to provide an overview of recent developments, offer practical suggestions (e.g. software packages), and outline future challenges to support scientists and practitioners in their endeavors within the realm of statistical hydrology studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional integration agreements have oriented toward common educational exchanges within the region. In previous research, Jane Knight's functional, organizational, and political approaches model (FOPA) has been proven to capture a large spectrum of the main aspects relevant to the study of the regionalization of higher education. Knight's threefold framework allows for an analysis of the role of different actors, institutions, programs, systems, networks, and agreements in those challenges. However, this model has only been applied to the study of African and Asian regions, while the regionalization of higher education in South America has remained understudied. The advent of the Educational Mercosur (SEM — Sector Educativo del Mercosul) in 2006 and other affords from ALBA-TCP, UNASUR, Pacific Alliance, and CAN present an opportunity to test the FOPA framework in South America. This paper analyzes the meaning, concepts, and processes occurring in the regionalization of South American higher education. The result is a "panoramic screenshot" covering educational initiatives that promote regionalization in the region. The higher education agenda is visibly present in the scope of the South American regionalism. In conclusion, the paper identifies key questions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parameters of hydrological models should be determined before applying those models to estimate or predict hydrological processes. The Xin'anjiang (XAJ) hydrological model is widely used throughout China. Since the prediction in ungauged basins (PUB) era, the regionalization of the XAJ model parameters has been a subject of intense focus; nevertheless, while many efforts have targeted parameters related to runoff yield using in-site data sets, classic regression has predominantly been applied. In this paper, we employed remotely sensed underlying surface data and a machine learning approach to establish models for estimating the runoff routing parameter, namely, CS, of the XAJ model. The study was conducted on 114 catchments from the Catchment Attributes and MEteorology for Large-sample Studies (CAMELS) data set, and the relationships between CS and various underlying surface characteristics were explored by a gradient-boosted regression tree (GBRT). The results showed that the drainage density, stream source density and area of the catchment were the three major factors with the most significant impact on CS. The best correlation coefficient (r), root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) between the GBRT-estimated and calibrated CS were 0.96, 0.06 and 0.04, respectively, verifying the good performance of GBRT in estimating CS. Although bias was noted between the GBRT-estimated and calibrated CS, runoff simulations using the GBRT-estimated CS could still achieve results comparable to those using the calibrated CS. Further validations based on two catchments in China confirmed the overall robustness and accuracy of simulating runoff processes using the GBRT-estimated CS. Our results confirm the following hypotheses: (1) with the help of large sample of catchments and associated remote sensing data, the ML-based approach can capture the nonstationary and nonlinear relationships between CS and the underlying surface characteristics and (2) CS estimated by ML from large samples has a robustness that can guarantee the overall performance of the XAJ mode. This study advances the methodology for quantitatively estimating the XAJ model parameters and can be extended to other parameters or other models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, numerous changes have emerged in the History of Science of what has traditionally been called the Islamic world. By now, it has become usual to speak of the Islamicate world, albeit more so in Islamic Studies and related historical disciplines. The notion Islamicate wishes to express that the societies rule by Muslim dynasties were multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-confessional and plurilingual. Different Muslim denominations could form majority but also minority groups. The processes of change in the study of the sciences in those societies can be summarized as efforts to pluralize research approaches and to historicize objects, themes, people, institutions and practices. The pluralization of approaches includes the multiplication of (1) modern disciplinary homes for studies of scientific topics dealt with in Islamicate societies, (2) the languages acknowledged as languages of scientific texts such as New Persian, Ottoman Turkish or Urdu worthwhile to analyze, (3) the number of historical disciplines accepted under the umbrella of history of science, (4) the centuries or periods as well as the regions that have been incorporated into the investigation of past scientific knowledge and (5) the recognition that more than a single history can and should be told about the sciences in past Islamicate societies. The process of historicization means, first and foremost, to turn away from macro-units of research (Islam, medieval or Arabic science) to medium- or micro-level units. Historicization indicates, secondly, the turn toward contextualization beyond the analysis of individual texts or instruments. And thirdly, it signifies the integration of features or aspects of scholarly practices that are not limited to the content of a discipline or a text but include layouts, the organization of text production, types of visualizations of knowledge or rhetorical strategies and paratextual elements. My paper reports on trends that I consider relevant for understanding how the field changed over the last decades and how it ticks today. But it does not try to be comprehensive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate is likely to affect the productive structure of urban water supply systems through its effects on reservoirs' volume, water quality, and consumption. This paper investigates these effects by analyzing the role of temperature and rainfall in water utilities' costs with a multiple-equation cost function model and a rich firm-level database that describes the operations of 3845 firms from 2008 to 2018 in Brazil. Results reveal the presence of causal effects of rainfall and, in some cases, temperature on costs, with small firms being more vulnerable to cope with adverse (dry) weather. Results also suggest significant economies of scale and density yet to be realized by the industry. Considering the highly fragmented Brazilian urban water industry, the findings show potentially large cost savings associated with an eventual regional consolidation of operations, particularly under the realization of climate change scenarios that show hotter and drier weather conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial clustering has been widely used for spatial data mining and knowledge discovery. An ideal multivariate spatial clustering should consider both spatial contiguity and aspatial attributes. Existing spatial clustering approaches may face challenges for discovering repeated geographic patterns with spatial contiguity maintained. In this paper, we propose a Spatial Toeplitz Inverse Covariance-Based Clustering (STICC) method that considers both attributes and spatial relationships of geographic objects for multivariate spatial clustering. A subregion is created for each geographic object serving as the basic unit when performing clustering. A Markov random field is then constructed to characterize the attribute dependencies of subregions. Using a spatial consistency strategy, nearby objects are encouraged to belong to the same cluster. To test the performance of the proposed STICC algorithm, we apply it in two use cases. The comparison results with several baseline methods show that the STICC outperforms others significantly in terms of adjusted rand index and macro-F1 score. Join count statistics is also calculated and shows that the spatial contiguity is well preserved by STICC. Such a spatial clustering method may benefit various applications in the fields of geography, remote sensing, transportation, and urban planning, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Runoff prediction in ungauged and scarcely gauged catchments is a key research field in surface water hydrology. There have been numerous studies before and since the launch of the predictions in ungauged basins (PUB) initiative by the International Association of Hydrological Sciences in 2003. This study critically reviews and assesses the decadal progress in the regionalization of hydrological modeling, which is the major tool for PUB, from 2000 to 2019. This paper found that the journal publications have noticeably increased in terms of PUB in the past 7 years, and research countries have been expanded dramatically since 2013. The regionalization methods are grouped into three categories including similarity‐based, regression‐based, and hydrological signature‐based. There are more detailed researches focusing on the interdisciplinary and profound improvement of each regionalization method. Namely, tremendous efforts have been made and lots of improvements have been carried out in the parameterization domain for the post‐PUB period. However, there is still plenty of room to improve the prediction capability in data‐sparse regions (e.g., further verification and proof of multi‐modeling adaptation and uncertainties description). This paper also discusses possible research directions in the future, including PUB in a changing environment and better utilization of multi‐source remote‐sensing information. This article is categorized under:Science of Water > Science of Water [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust carbon reduction strategies are needed to meet climate targets, especially for emissions from building materials. Although research has shown that the production of materials can be influenced by local conditions, such as the energy mix, the impact of regionalization on embodied emissions from buildings has not yet been fully explored. In this paper, we investigate the impact of inventory regionalization on the life cycle assessment of buildings and its influence on greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction strategies. This is performed by first developing a consistent, automated and reproducible method for regionalizing the production process of building materials for all countries. We then apply life cycle assessment to a building for all European countries using the created regionalized processes. The results show strong deviations for certain countries, reaching a difference of up to 17% to the regional average data. When investigating the influence of regionalization on the choice of typical GHG reduction strategies, results show that the choice of strategy can be influenced by the regional context, supporting the need for greater geographic representativeness of building materials inventories for successful GHG emissions reduction pathways. Regionalization can also support the development of more accurate product-specific environmental product declarations (EPDs), which currently rely on average background data. • Influence of inventory regionalization on building LCA is demonstrated. • A method is created to systematically regionalize the ecoinvent database. • A difference up to 17% is observed when performing a building LCA. • Regionalization can also support higher accuracy of EPDs. • GHG reduction strategies are strongly influenced by the regionalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the theoretical and methodological principles in the process of regionalization and analyzes the criteria used during the designation of the region as a category of special importance in geographical research. Methodological principles of regionalization were applied during the differentiation of the Preševo Valley as an individualized region. The Preševo Valley is a small region in South Serbia with a very favorable geographical position because it is located in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula between the Morava and Vardar valleys. Theoretical and methodological discussion highlights elements of a geographical and socio-economic basis that contribute to a regional-geographical differentiation of the area, as well as those elements that appear as an obstacle in attempts to differentiate this area in regional terms. A critical overview of the use of the name ‘Preševo Valley’ between scientific argumentation and political usage is also given. A survey was carried out to identify the main elements that constitute Preševo Valley’s regional identity. The main results show that this region is characterized by a mostly Albanian population, poor economic development, high migration rates, strategic position, and a strong national consciousness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The Society of Critical Care Medicine convened its Academic Leaders in Critical Care Medicine taskforce on February 22, 2016, during the 45th Critical Care Congress to develop a series of consensus papers with toolkits for advancing critical care organizations in North America. The goal of this article is to propose a framework based on the expert opinions of critical care organization leaders and their responses to a survey, for current and future critical care organizations, and their leadership in the health system to design and implement successful regionalization for critical care in their regions.Data Sources and Study Selection: Members of the workgroup convened monthly via teleconference with the following objectives: to 1) develop and analyze a regionalization survey tool for 23 identified critical care organizations in the United States, 2) assemble relevant medical literature accessed using Medline search, 3) use a consensus of expert opinions to propose the framework, and 4) create groups to write the subsections and assemble the final product.Data Extraction and Synthesis: The most prevalent challenges for regionalization in critical care organizations remain a lack of a strong central authority to regulate and manage the system as well as a lack of necessary infrastructure, as described more than a decade ago. We provide a framework and outline a nontechnical approach that the health system and their critical care medicine leadership can adopt after considering their own structure, complexity, business operations, culture, and the relationships among their individual hospitals. Transforming the current state of regionalization into a coordinated, accountable system requires a critical assessment of administrative and clinical challenges and barriers. Systems thinking, business planning and control, and essential infrastructure development are critical for assisting critical care organizations.Conclusions: Under the value-based paradigm, the goals are operational efficiency and patient outcomes. Health systems that can align strategy and operations to assist the referral hospitals with implementing regionalization will be better positioned to regionalize critical care effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precipitation has a dominant role in agriculture, and a regular rain pattern is usually vital to agriculture; excessive or inadequate rainfall can be harmful. In this paper, an agricultural drought index is utilized to study the agricultural drought periods and analyze them with their intensities at various locations. Some nonhomogeneous Poisson models are also used to calculate the probability of agricultural droughts (number of times occurred) in a time interval of interest. It is to be assumed that the number of agricultural drought event occurrences is a Nonhomogeneous Poisson Process (NHPP) has a rate function, which depends on some parameters that must be estimated. Two cases of these functions are considered: the Weibull and linear intensity function. The Bayesian approach with Gibbs sampling under the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm is used to estimate the parameters of these functions. The most appropriate fitted model is selected by using Deviance Information Criteria (DIC) and use that appropriately fitted model to calculate the accumulated events of agricultural drought in a time interval of interest at each location. Ordinary Kriging (OK) is used to regionalize the parameters and present its spatial behavior. The results based on the DIC indicate that the Power Law Process (PLP) performs better than the linear intensity function, NHPP model. The interpolated parameter values for the appropriate model, their patterns, and fluctuations for the study area are efficiently presented using contour maps. It is a novel and straightforward approach to assess the selected model parameter values used to predict the accumulated drought events at un-sampled locations. The proposed framework might also help to analyze other spatial variables of interest and can be used for climate-change study, ecosystem modeling, etc. The findings can also help to make decisions for sustainable environmental management in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Categorical maps of landscape types (LTs) are useful abstractions that simplify spatial and thematic complexity of natural landscapes, thus facilitating land resources management. A local landscape arises from a fusion of patterns of natural themes (such as land cover, landforms, etc.), which makes an unsupervised identification and mapping of LTs difficult. This paper introduces the integrated co-occurrence matrix (INCOMA) – a signature for numerical representation of multi-thematic categorical patterns. INCOMA enables an unsupervised identification and mapping of LTs. The region is tessellated into a large number of local landscapes – patterns of themes over small square-shaped neighborhoods. With local landscapes represented by INCOMA signatures and with dissimilarities between local landscapes calculated using the Jensen-Shannon Divergence ( J S D), LTs can be identified and mapped using standard clustering or segmentation techniques. Resultant LTs are typically heterogeneous with respect to categories of contributing themes reflecting the human perception of a landscape. LTs calculated by INCOMA are more faithful abstractions of actual landscapes than LTs obtained by the current method of choice – the map overlay. The concept of INCOMA is described, and its application is demonstrated by an unsupervised mapping of LT zones in Europe based on combined patterns of land cover and landforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the particularities of a regionalization process by investigating how a supranational region emerges as a context of, and tool for, political contestation regarding power relations between a sub-national and national government. This is done through an empirical case study of the Arctic Policy of the State of Alaska. The analysis shows how the contested relationship between state and federal governments became re-contextualized in relation to the Arctic due to a newfound federal attention on the region. This culminated in how the Arctic region is perceived within the 'Alaskan' and federal contexts. Additionally, the case study shows that by attempting to transform how the Arctic is perceived within, and enacted through, the policies of the federal government, state actors in Alaska have sought to utilize federal attention on the region and exert an influence on federal policies that affect Alaska. This, in turn, has potential implications for the overall regionalization process of the Arctic itself. The paper contends that rather than de-constructing regionalization processes as wholes, by focusing on the particularities of these processes we can better understand the politics at play. This concurrently helps to illuminate how such politics may affect the trajectory of regionalization itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Over the past twenty-five years a considerable amount of literature has emerged that addresses inland port development in a variety of ways and in different institutional contexts. A recurring issue throughout most papers focusing on inland ports is the wide diversity of definitions, actors, functions, levels and geographies that are of relevance. Therefore, a literature review on inland port development contributes to defining the most important streams in inland port research. Recent studies show that the concept of inland ports is clearly much richer and more diversified than merely an extension of deep-sea ports or port logistics. However, as much of the literature is still largely based on individual case studies and anecdotal evidences, the conceptualization of inland ports has proven to be particularly difficult. Therefore, this review paper presents a systematic and integrated review of inland port studies, covering 80 international peer-reviewed academic journal papers on inland port development between 1992 and 2017. The results show that much attention is paid on inland ports as components of the 'transport/logistics/supply chain' systems (follower), while their roles as components of the 'regional' systems (leader) are largely overlooked. Such a tweaked focus is likely to pose significant impacts on planning, management, and governance of inland ports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a keen interest in calculating spatial associations between two variables spanning the same study area. Many methods for calculating such associations have been proposed, but the case when both variables are categorical is underdeveloped despite the fact that many datasets of interest are in the form of either regionalizations or thematic maps. In this paper, we advance this case by adapting the so-called -measure method from its original information-theoretical formulation to the analysis of variance formulation which provides more insight for spatial analysis. We present a step-by-step derivation of the -measure from the perspective of the analysis of variance. The method produces three indices of global association and two sets of local association indicators which could be mapped to indicate spatial distribution of association strength. The open-source software for calculating all indices from vector datasets accompanies the paper. To showcase the utility of the -measure, we identified three different application contexts: comparative, associative, and derivative, and present an example of each of them. The -measure method has several advantages over the widely used Mapcurves method, it has clear interpretations in terms of mutual information as well as in terms of analysis of variance, it provides more precise assessment of association, it is ready-to-use through the accompanying software, and the examples given in the paper serves as a guide to the gamut of its possible applications. Two specific contributions stemming from our re-analysis of the -measure are the finding of the conceptual flaw in the Geographical Detector—a method to quantify associations between numerical and categorical spatial variables, and a proposal for the new, cartographically based algorithm for finding an optimal number of regions in clustering-derived regionalizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the Italian territories affected by regionalization processes and subject to an institutional reform: the enforcement of Metropolitan Cities in 2014. Regionalization processes have occurred in many European countries in recent decades, also assisted by the European Cohesion Policy. In Italy, regionalized territories have place-specific characteristics and new emerging forms of bottom-up cooperation are taking place. The new government system is having to deal with a complex scenario due to the dissemination of these forms of cooperation linked to the regionalization taking place, alongside their potential coherence and/or contrast with the top-down design of the reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed at identifying the most productive upland cotton genotypes among seven new releases (P 625-1, P 746-1, Q 674-2, Q 723-4, Q 792-2, R 663-4 et R 689-1). The controls were the 3 varieties currently in use in Benin: ANG 956, OKP 768, and KET 782. Overall, 146 variety trials have been set over 3 years. All the new releases were evaluated on station, whereas only P 625-1 and P 746-1 have been tested on farmer field trials. Experiments were run according to a randomized complete block design. Data were analysed with a linear mixed model. The Genotype x Macro-environment interaction was retrieved from an Additive Main effects and Multiplicative Interactions (AMMI) model. Yields were poor in 2015, but got better thereafter. The Genotype x Year interaction was not significant (P>0.05). The Genotype x Macroenvironment interaction was small, though significant (P<0.001). On station, R 663-4 and P 625-1 out-performed the check-varieties in Upper-North and South respectively. From the farmer-field trials, P 746-1 was the most productive in the Upper-North. In the South, P 625-1 ranked higher than KET 782. R 663-4, P 625-1, and P 746-1 are the most promising genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighborhood delineation is increasingly relied upon in urban social science research to identify the most appropriate spatial unit. In problems of this type, the true number of neighborhoods (typically called the k parameter) is unknown and analysts often require algorithmic approaches to determine k endogenously. Existing approaches for neighborhood delineation that do not require pre-specification of a k-parameter, however, are either nonspatial or lead to noncontiguous or overlapping regions. In this paper, we propose the use of max-p-regions for neighborhood delineation so that the geographic space can be partitioned into a set of homogeneous and geographically contiguous neighborhoods. In addition, we developed a new efficient algorithm to address the computational challenges associated with solving the max-p-regions so that it can be applied for large-scale neighborhood delineation. This new algorithm is implemented in the open-source Python Spatial Analysis Library (PySAL). Computational experiments based on both simulated and realistic data sets are performed and the results demonstrate its effectiveness and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors work on the basis of the present knowledge, especially in the interest of realization of the concept of long-term development of tourism, to point out the need and representational basis for the separation of tourist-geographic regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The basis of the functional tourist and economic regionalization of Bosnia and Herzegovina served the concept of separation of tourist-geographical regions. The research of tourism development of the Tuzla region within this work requires the spatial definition, ie the demarcation of the tourist region in the area of Northern Bosnia. During the delimitation of the Tuzla tourist region, the former geo-tourist and economic concepts of the Northeast Bosnia- Herzegovina regionalization were taken into account with six proposals being made. For this purpose, a geographic analysis was carried out and proposals for certain corrections of the former physiognomic boundaries and the spatial coverage of regional units of the first and second level were made, along with the established guidelines for further research in this field. During the field research conducted, the emphasis was placed on the detailed attribution of tourism potential and their role in spatial organization and tourism development. Motives and goals basically come down to the need to establish a more effective coordination of tourism development at the Tuzla tourist region, linking tourism destinations, to a range of common development issues, and achieving greater efficiency of the overall economic development. This paper provides a short analysis of the areas where there are tourism resources and facilities with the dominant function of tourism, i.e. in which tourism can become a dominant economic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to test the feasibility of using the SWAT model under limited data availability to estimate soil erosion in two adjacent watersheds, namely Mazer (gauged) and El Himer (ungauged) watersheds. In this study, we used the physical proximity approach as one of the regionalization methods while ensuring the similarity between both watersheds. Moreover, the comparison of the most important characteristics that influence runoff production shows that Mazer and El Himer watersheds are nearly similar in terms of soil, land use and all other morphological and physical characteristics. In aiming to achieve the objectives set out in this study, SWAT Model was calibrated and validated on a monthly time step at Mazer watershed using SWAT-CUP (SUFI-2). Results showed a good correlation between the observed and simulated streamflow with a NSE (Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency) of 0.65, 0.89 and R2 of 0.75, 0.95 for calibration and validation, respectively. After the calibration and validation processes in Mazer watersheds, the fitted values for the most sensitive parameters have been applied at El Himer watershed and both models were executed for 5 years to estimate streamflow and soil erosion at Mazer and El Himer watershed. The results showed that all studied subwatersheds present a weak amount of soil erosion rate, with a maximum of 5.20 t/ha/year. Generally, soil erosion in El Himer is slightly high. The average annual values recorded of sediment yield at Mazer and El Himer were 725 and 2991 tons/year, respectively. Moreover, the results obtained can be used in other watersheds with the same characteristics. The interest shown in this type of study stems from our major problem inherent in the developing country, where very few measuring stations are available. It is hoped to demonstrate the utility of regionalization and to encourage modelers to work more on ungauged watersheds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】The present paper aimed to provide theoretical basis for the rational application of potassium and chlorine fertilizer in the flue-cured tobacco production in Yunnan raw material base of Yunyan brand.【Method】 1130 soil samples from 37 counties of Kunming, Qujing, Honghe, Baoshan, Wenshan were used as materials to determine the content of potassium and chlorine in tobacco samples. The characteristics of potassium and chlorine ratio in different regions, main varieties, soils at different altitudes and tobacco leaves in Yunnan raw material base of Yunyan brand were analyzed. The potassium chlorine ratio of tobacco leaves was regionalized by ArcGIS. 【Result】The results showed that the samples with potassium chloride ratio more than 10 % were the most, accounting for 43.2 %; The samples with potassium chloride ratio between 4.0 % and 6.0 % were the least, accounting for 11.7 %. Qujing had the largest number of towns with low K/C ratio(< 4 %) and Wenshan had the smallest; Qujing had the largest number of towns with high K/C ratio(> 10 %), while other cities had the same number. The main cultivar with the highest mean of K/C ratio in middle tobacco leaves was Yunyan 85, which was 14.41; The lowest was Yunyan 97, which was 7.30; The others were between 8.44 and 12.73. The highest mean of K/C ratio of middle tobacco leaves in different altitude areas was 11.72, which was mainly distributed in the altitude area of 1100-1400 meters; The lowest was 8.91, which was mainly distributed in the altitude area of 2000-2300 meters. 【Conclusion】In order to production of high-quality flue-cured tobacco in Yunnan raw material base of Yunyan brand, areas with high K/C ratio of tobacco leaves in Kunming, Qujing, Honghe, Baoshan and Wenshan could be selected. K326, Yunyan 87, Yunyan 85 and other high efficient flue-cured tobacco varieties for potassium accumulation and utilization could be selected. It could be planted at the altitude of 1100-2000 meters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regionalization attempts to group units into a few subsets to partition the entire area. The results represent the underlying spatial structure and facilitate decision-making. Massive amounts of trajectories produced in the urban space provide a new opportunity for regionalization from human mobility. This paper proposes and applies a novel regionalization method to cluster similar areal units and visualize the spatial structure by considering all trajectories in an area into a word embedding model. In this model, nodes in a trajectory are regarded as words in a sentence, and nodes can be clustered in the feature space. The result depicts the underlying socio-economic structure at multiple spatial scales. To our knowledge, this is the first regionalization method from trajectories with natural language processing technology. A case study of mobile phone trajectory data in Beijing is used to validate our method, and then we evaluate its performance by predicting the next location of an individual's trajectory. The case study indicates that the method is fast, flexible and scalable to large trajectory datasets, and moreover, represents the structure of trajectory more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Improving trauma systems in various forms has always been an important aspect of health policy. While several papers have reported the implementation of a structured trauma system of care, research evidence on the effectiveness of such regionalization for improvement in trauma outcome is limited. Study design: Systematic review. Method: Medline, EMbase, EconLit and Health Management Information Consortium were searched, using sensitive search terms, for interventional studies that reported a trauma regionalization system as their intervention, and compared important outcomes such as mortality and preventable deaths. At least two authors assessed eligibility for inclusion and risk of bias, and extracted data from the included studies. As meta-analysis was not possible for all studies, two controlled before-after studies were included in the metaanalysis, and a narrative analysis was conducted for the other studies. Results: After title and abstract sifting, 66 papers were retrieved. After reading the full texts, a total of 24 studies from the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands were included in this review. In spite of variation in study specifications, most were beforeeafter studies with a high risk of bias. Although a reduction in mortality was shown in most studies, only two studies were eligible for meta-analysis, and the results showed a significant reduction in mortality after implementation of an organized trauma system (odds ratio 0.840, 95% confidence interval 0.756-0.924; P = 0.00). Conclusion: Correlation was found between a regionalized network of trauma care and a reduction in trauma-related mortality, based on studies that did not exclude the effects of other concurrent changes on observed reductions. It is recommended that more studies with robust research designs should be conducted in a more diverse range of countries to assess the effectiveness of regionalization. Despite this limitation, the present findings support the regionalization of trauma care services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to discuss the current status of port regionalization in the Portuguese range and to identify its possible developments, giving special consideration to cross-border issues. The ‘Portuguese range’ comprises a set of ports located in the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula, grouped in a multi-port gateway region, directly connected to one of the main European Union rail freight corridors. These ports possess a natural competitive advantage as a gateway to foreland regions along the Atlantic Ocean, such as Latin America, North America and West Africa. In order to fully realize this potential, the entire range is engaged in a regionalization process into certain regions of Spain, which is analysed in this paper. The paper builds upon previous work on regionalization, inland terminal networks, dry port development and dyad formations and applies these concepts to the Portuguese range, in its pursue for the capture of hinterlands in Spain. The validity of the regionalization theoretical framework is thus benchmarked against a trans-national case and novel elements are sought to enrich the framework. The paper first describes the current situation of container terminals in the Portuguese range regarding throughput, rail connections, network of inland terminals (and dry ports) and its utilization. Comparison is made with its Spanish counterparts. The policies of major stakeholders are also reviewed concerning dry port and logistic platform development. A number of potential and existing seaport-dry port dyads are identified. Conclusions and policy suggestions are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In life cycle assessment (LCA), the potential terrestrial ecotoxicity effect of metals, calculated as the effect factor (EF), is usually extrapolated from aquatic ecotoxicological data using the equilibrium partitioning method (EqP) as it is more readily available than terrestrial data. However, when following the AMI recommendations (i.e. with at least enough species that represents three different phyla), there are not enough terrestrial data for which soil properties or metal speciation during ecotoxicological testing are specified to account for the influence of soil property variations on metal speciation when using this approach. Alternatively, the TBLM (Terrestrial Biotic Ligand Model) has been used to determine an EF that accounts for speciation, but is not available for metals; hence it cannot be consistently applied to metals in an LCA context. This paper proposes an approach to include metal speciation by regionalizing the EqP method for Cu, Ni and Zn with a geochemical speciation model (the Windermere Humic Aqueous Model 7.0), for 5213 soils selected from the Harmonized World Soil Database. Results obtained by this approach (EF EqP regionalized ) are compared to the EFs calculated with the conventional EqP method, to the EFs based on available terrestrial data and to the EFs calculated with the TBLM (EF TBLM regionalized ) when available. The spatial variability contribution of the EF to the overall spatial variability of the characterization factor (CF) has been analyzed. It was found that the EFs EqP regionalized show a significant spatial variability. The EFs calculated with the two non-regionalized methods (EqP and terrestrial data) fall within the range of the EFs EqP regionalized . The EFs TBLM regionalized cover a larger range of values than the EFs EqP regionalized but the two methods are not correlated. This paper highlights the importance of including speciation into the terrestrial EF and shows that using the regionalized EqP approach is not an acceptable proxy for terrestrial ecotoxicological data even if it can be applied to all metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Becoming established in a country of vast territorial proportions like Brazil and producing socially relevant knowledge for each of its regions has been a challenge faced by many research entities in the present day. For the Associação Brasileira de História das Religiões -- ABHR (Brazilian Association for the History of Religions), this has been a key issue and has produced important results in terms of encouraging new research spaces and the articulation of new generations of scholars of religion and religiosity studies. This paper briefly presents the experiences of the ABHR North and the first results that emerged from the research events that took place in 2017 and 2019, in Parintins (AM) and Santarém (PA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the geobotanical division of Poland, Pomerania was treated as a separate subdivision, divided into "coastal plains" and the "Pomeranian uplands" or, in the newest regionalization, the "Pomeranian division". The goal of this paper is to determine how well the distinctiveness of Pomerania is floristically justified. A total of 1,467 native species occur within the area of Pomerania, representing 57.5% of the native flora of Poland. Fifty-seven species distinguishing Pomerania were selected and their phytogeographic features were discussed and compared to the Polish vascular flora. The distribution of 32 species (56.1%) is characterized as (sub)Atlantic/oceanic. Of the taxa that characterize Pomerania, 47.45% represent the northern element of the Polish flora and 7.01% the western element; species of the eastern element do not exist in Pomerania. The maximum entropy (MaxEnt) method was used for collective distribution analysis of the 57 selected taxa. The analyzes were performed using 41 environmental variables. All the species analyzed are strictly linked to the western and the North Atlantic part of Europe. Statistical evaluation of the MaxEnt model yielded an AUC value of 0.75 for both training and test. The most important environmental variables are minimum high (min_h), temperature annual range (bio07), and mean temperature of driest quarter (bio09). The results of the MaxEnt analysis allowed us also to verify the boundaries of the region and suggest new criteria for them. The southern limit of Pomerania should run along the northern boundary of the terminal moraine belt. Also, the area east of the Vistula does not contain abundant representatives of the flora characteristic for Pomerania. The results of the present study may be used for a broader discussion on the revision of the geobotanical division of Poland, at least in its northern part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our dependence on the continental water cycle (CWC) is such that we clearly need to improve our understanding of its issues from a multidisciplinary perspective. We assess the water resources in an understudied country, Haiti, to estimate the geomorphological (8 variables), hydrological (7), and climatological (7) behaviors of the main (26) watersheds. This generated almost exhaustive knowledge of the surface and sub-surface components of the CWC. In this paper, we intend to integrate these components into a synthetic and coherent view of the environment by looking for relationships between each other. We explore the correlations between several variables (including daily rainfall, river discharge, and river network metrics) of the pre-mentioned water components using robust and rigorous statistical analyses. We found a significant yet weak (spatiotemporal) correlation between the geomorphologic and climatologic components (RV test comparing two datasets with permutations, p-value = 10-3). Some partial, weak, and contingent relationships between specific geomorphologic, hydrologic, and climatologic behaviors were apparent too. The final comparison between atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere in Haiti consists in the definition of four watershed categories showing strongly differentiated water cycle behaviors in the country, thus suggesting developing integrated mechanistic models for a multidisciplinary management of the CWC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper propose a regionalization with economic focus for the State of Paraná, using both data of electric energy consumption, analyzed by the Locational Quotient (LQ) and the average municipal GDP, evaluated by the Gravitational Model. From this, it were verified the centrality levels among the six meso-poles that compose the Intermediate Regions in Paraná. In addition, it were identified the municipal economic interrelations that produced the regional cut of the Intermediate Regions proposed by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in 2017. This is a study of regionalization dimensioned from the identification of economic poles and the areas polarized by them. As result it is possible to delimit economic regions in the State of Paraná with different contours and characteristics from the previous regions established by IBGE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws the main lines of development of the territoriality of the Polish state, taking into account the divergent dynamics of its regional evolution. Building on a historical account, it describes how the decentralization process unfolded, leading to the reform in 1998/1999, which administratively decentralized the state without, however, changing its unitary nature. By analysing the complexity and diversity of the EU's cohesion policy, the paper also addresses questions that are central to theoretical arguments about EU influence on the divergence of regions. It concludes that even if the EU cohesion policy can be seen as a success in Poland, the amount of funding was not sufficient to reduce the differences between the Polish voivodships, which have been growing in recent decades. Paradoxically, the successful use of EU funding did not prevent the massive electoral wins of an EU-sceptic party in the poorer eastern regions, which were supported by a special EU fund. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Mediterranean Sea, the dominant type of fisheries is small-scale. Coastal communities remain dependent on fisheries for their income, some of them with limited potential for economic diversification. The top-down micro-management regime has proven ineffective to secure ecological and social sustainability as it lacks flexibility and adaptation to local and regional conditions. This paper explores the advantages of using a participatory approach and a bio-economic model to develop management scenarios in a high value small-scale shrimp trap fishery in Greece. Seeking active stakeholder involvement throughout the management process advanced the identification of management measures aiming at MSY, with high levels of acceptance from stakeholders. It also increased transparency and legitimacy of the proposed management measures and could be considered as a first step towards co-management and regionalization. The participatory approach undertaken could promote compliance and facilitate the transition to sustainable fishing, ensuring the viability of coastal communities and, thus, social sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this paper is to apply a synthetic approach to the delimitation of metropolitan areas, which combines traditional commuting data from the population census with alternative approaches. The presented delimitation, which was originally realized in response to a request from Prague’s planning authority, is based on three methodological pillars: the use of economic and social aspects of metropolization; suburbanization; and daily mobility within the Prague Metropolitan Area. Integrated systems of centers calculated from population census data are complemented with the use of mobile phone data. There was a surprising level of similarity in the spatial patterns gained from the two methods. Zones of residential suburbanization and time spent in the core city provided a complex perspective on the daily urban system within the Prague Metropolitan Area. A synthetic map based on the four methods is provided, accompanied by five analytical maps on a smaller scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing demands on higher education have placed an unprecedented external pull on universities. Bernstein (Pedagogy, symbolic control and idenity: theory, research, critique, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc., Lanham, ) refers to this 'outward' pull of the late twentieth century as the 'regionalization of knowledge'. One of the consequences of this 'facing outward' is contestation over curriculum and what should be privileged. Should it privilege knowing, doing or being? Should it foreground formative training in the basic sciences or applied problem-solving? Is its priority educating the mind or preparing for a vocation? These questions can set up a series of 'false choices' about the purpose of higher education, what it means to be educated and what our priorities should be in curriculum reform. The aim of this paper is to move the discourse beyond these polarities by making visible the 'stakes' in the curriculum reform debate illustrated in the Muller thinkpiece (High Educ 70(3):409-416, ). The paper offers a conceptual framework for understanding current curriculum contestation and applies the framework in an illustrative manner to a particular higher education curriculum reform initiative in South Africa. The framework shows how 'what does it mean to be educated?' will vary depending on the different types and hence purposes of curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Since the establishment of the WTO the number of RTAs has risen strongly. • We analyse the co-evolution of (overlapping) RTAs and agricultural trade. • We show a positive association between RTA and agricultural trade connectivity. • This relationship is more profound at the extensive margin of trade. • This relationship is more profound for countries that share several RTAs. Since the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO) also the number of Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) has risen strongly, from less than 50 in 1995 to more than 350 in 2022. Increasingly overlapping RTAs imply challenges and can raise trade costs associated with the management of multiple trade rules and regulatory standards. At the same time, countries that are connected through several RTAs could be strongly integrated and their regulatory approaches well-aligned, thus reducing trade costs among them. This paper looks at the parallels in the evolution of agricultural trade and RTAs and asks how the layering of RTAs is associated with agricultural trade among their signatories and with countries outside the RTAs. Based on network measures and correlations we identify common patterns in the evolution of RTAs globally and agricultural trade of a balanced panel of 190 countries in the years 1995, 2007, 2013 and 2019. We also provide first indication on the interaction of overlapping RTAs and agricultural trade. On global average, our findings hint at a positive association between RTA and agricultural trade connectivity and suggest that this relationship could be more pronounced at the extensive margin of trade and for countries that share several RTAs, possibly indicating a stronger political integration among these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method to characterize residential segregation patterns along three dimensions: intensity, separation, and scale. These dimensions designate respectively the over-representation of a group in segregated regions, the proportion of people from that group living in these regions, and the spatial extent of these regions. We apply the method to all Dutch municipalities, to study segregation along migration background. Our results demonstrate that no single segregation pattern prevails in the Netherlands: Dutch municipalities express very diverse combinations of intensity, separation, and scale. We then explore the relation between segregation patterns and municipality characteristics. We show that segregation intensity and separation associate with municipality size, income inequality, and share of the group of interest in the municipality population. Moreover, the scale of segregation is highly correlated with municipality size, suggesting a proportional relation. • We propose a three-dimensional characterization of residential segregation patterns • Intensity designates the over-representation of a group in segregated regions • Separation designates the share of the group population living in segregated regions • Scale designates the spatial extent of segregated regions • In our Dutch case study, scale correlates highly with municipality size [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's new Silk Road policy, titled 'One Belt, One Road,' signals a proactive turn in China's regional policy towards Central and West Asia. The policy has two dimensions: First, China aims to revitalize the old Silk Road exchange of goods, ideas, and people with trade, energy, and transportation projects. Second, armed with these new connections, China aims to redefine the territories the old Silk Road encompasses as a region in the contemporary international system. Turkey, as one of the countries at the westernmost end of the historic Silk Road, and one of the target countries of China's new Silk Road diplomacy, welcomes the increasing economic and technological exchange with China. Establishing better contacts with China fits suitably in Turkey's new foreign policy orientation. While the foreign policies of the two countries seem to be compatible, Turkish domestic political dynamics and public opinion hinder further engagement between the two ends of the Silk Road. The negative public opinion towards China manifests itself in the form of media coverage, protests and lobbying and, at times, it derails bilateral relations. This paper assesses the prospects for bilateral relations in the light of these developments. The paper starts with a historical analysis of Sino-Turkish relations and proceeds with various dimensions of the current relations. Then, it provides an analysis of various public opinion surveys in order to grasp the nature of the Turkish public opinion towards China, and it offers a media framing analysis in order to decipher the specific ways the image of China is constructed in Turkish public opinion. The last part of the paper discusses the domestic political actors that have a role in the perceptions and policies toward China in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]